Harold Ford Jr. and Revenge of the Queers

Here’s an article on our beloved former Rep. Harold Ford Jr. in The Advocate, on how HRJ screwed the LGBT people of TN in 2004 and 2006.
The Persistence of Gay Memory
The gay community will not forget how the former supporter of gay rights turned into the bible-quoting anti-gay marriage candidate for U.S. Senate in 2006 and crossed party lines to vote for the Federal Marriage Amendment after telling us he did not support adding discrimination against gays and lesbians into the U.S. Constitution. We know he threw us under the bus to appeal to the anti-gay bigots of Tennessee just for his own political gain. But we won’t forget, and neither will the LGBT people in New York!

It’s great that HFJ has had a “change of heart” on gay marriage now that he is running for Senate in New York (not TN), but what we really want to know and need him to account for, is why he changed his position on the Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and made that vote, and his opposition to equal rights for gays and lesbians, a central issue in his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2006. That is the issue, not his conversion to support marriage equality now.

And I guess I owe HFJ some thanks for showing me that the Democratic Party really does not stand for much. It's all about winning elections. Democratic Party activists kept telling me that HFJ had to run an anti-gay conservative campaign to win in Tennessee! Never mind principles like equality, social justice, winning is all that matters. Nearly every major Democratic politician in Tennessee supported HFJ as he toured the state with his anti-gay marriage tent revival. It made me sick.

That's when I left the Democratic Party for good! Oh, I ran as a write-in candidate against HFJ in 2004 and 2006, just to give some folks a chance to register their vote against the bigotry of HRJ and the Tennessee Democratic Party.

Here's a trip down memory lane:

Memphis Flyer Article in 2006: Left of Left--Protest Candidate Jim Maynard Offers Alternative to Harold Ford Jr.

Irregular Times Interview: Jim Maynard for Congress

Jim Maynard for Congress
(I think you can still buy T-Shirts!)

STOP HAROLD FORD JR

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The Power: Stop Harold Ford Jr. Protest

UPDATE:

Harold Ford Walks into Lions Den

Ford Catches Flak at NY LGBT Community Center

Harold Ford Jr. Faces Brutal Crowd at NYC Gay Community Center

The Conservative/Tea-Bagger Agenda

We learned a lot about the right-wing agenda this week at the Tea-Bagging convention and the CPAC convention.
The tea-baggers support torture, cheered for a war criminal named Dick Cheney, and support bringing back Jim Crow laws to stop non-whites from voting. This is the future of the Republican Party??

Could there be more irony than conservative Republicans attacking Obama for using teleprompters, reading from their teleprompters? Or attacking Democrats for opposing balanced budgets and tax cuts, after Obama has supported large tax cuts for the working class, and the last Democratic President balanced the federal budget?! Or accusing Obama of treating terrorists as criminals and prosecuting them in federal courts, when Bush/Cheney did too? They have no shame!

Now the Democratic Left and progressives need to learn something from the right-wingers. They are not just relying on Republican politicians to achieve their right-wing agenda. They have formed a mass movement to force Republicans to support them. That is what the left must do. Electoral politics, getting liberal Democrats elected, is not enough. We must have a mass movement to DEMAND universal healthcare, etc. If we had been more organized, it would be us out there protesting and holding several national conventions to get our message out... where were progressives and the movement for progressive change since Obama got elected?

Conservatives Real Agenda Revealed at CPAC Conference: Love of Torture and Hatred of Obama

TIME: Tea Party Nation

Huffington Post CPAC News

Huffington Post Tea Party News

Dick Cheney Cheered at CPAC

Dick Cheney Confesses to War Crimes!

CPAC Conference Right-Wing Civil War over Gays

VA Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) Strips Gay Rights Protections

VA Gov. Robert McDonnell (R) Strips Gay Job Protections for Gays & Lesbians

Gay and lesbian state workers in Virginia are no longer specifically protected against discrimination, thanks to a little-noticed change made by new Gov. Bob McDonnell.

McDonnell (R) on Feb. 5 signed an executive order that prohibits discrimination "on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, political affiliation, or against otherwise qualified persons with disabilities," as well as veterans.

It rescinds the order that Gov. Tim Kaine signed Jan. 14, 2006 as one of his first actions. After promising a "fair and inclusive" administration in his inaugural address, Kaine (D) added veterans to the non-discrimination policy - and sexual orientation.

This was a fulfillment of a promise McDonnell made in his campaign. This is what we can expect as the "tea-party" movement gets more of their wing-nuts elected across the country!

TPM Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell Rolls Back Non-Discrimination Protections for Gay Workers

Obama vs. FDR: Obama Doesn't Get it!

From my other blog, Memphis Socialists



In response to President Obama telling Business Week that he doesn't begrudge the excessive CEO pay and bonuses o Wall Street, several progressive commentators and bloggers have been in disbelief that Obama still does not seem to understand the magnitude of the disgust the American workers feel toward the capitalist class in the United States. In fact, Obama and the Democratic Party have been trying to win more support from the Wall Street business class that created the Great Recession. While the "leaders" and funders of the Democratic Party have been focusing on saving capitalism and the corporate elite, workers on main streets are desperately looking for a populist movement to support and fight back!

Paul Krugman, Oh.My.God Obama Clueless

Simon Johnson, Obama Still Doesn't Get It

Is Obama Committing Political Suicide? Calls Obscene Wall Street Bonuses Part of the "Free Market System"

Obama Bows to the Whinning of the Rich

What Does Obama Stand For?

Is Obama Trying to Dismantle Roosevelt's New Deal?

Thom Hartmann, Obama vs. FDR

FDR's Madison Square Garden Speech (Oct. 31, 1936)

Stupid Republicans

Not only does the Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll show that Republicans are anti-gay, they are STUPID!

63% think President Obama is a socialist and 53% think Sarah Palin is more qualified to be President!

Other polls confirm that self-identified Republicans (only 30% of the population) are stupid!

New Poll Results Proof that Republicans Don't Think!

Republicans Reject Gay Rights

The Log Cabin Republicans have been very silent lately... their hero John McCain flip flops on listening to the military leaders on Don't Ask Don't Tell, and now even more evidence that the GOP is not the place for gays. Abraham Lincoln wold not even be welcome in the Republican Party today!

Poll: Republicans Reject Gay Rights

According to the Daily Kos, the poll was conducted by calling 2,003 self-identified Republicans nationwide between January 20 and 31. Notwithstanding the wisdom of putting gay rights up for debate in a poll, here are the relevant questions and results:

Should openly gay men and women be allowed to serve in the military?

Yes 26%
No 55%
Not Sure 19%

Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?

Yes 7%
No 77%
Not Sure 16%

Should gay couples receive any state or federal benefits?

Yes 11%
No 68%
Not Sure 21%

Should openly gay men and women be allowed to teach in public schools?

Yes 8%
No 73%
Not Sure 19%

Lifting Don't Ask, Don't Tell--Don't Hold Your Breath!

President Obama renewed his pledge to work to end the military's anti-gay "Don't, Ask, Don't Tell" policy in his State of the Union speech. While most Americans support lifting the ban, the military, Republicans, and a few Democrats are working to keep it, or at least slow down the process of ending it.

Pentagon Starts Process of Lifting Gay Ban

The real problem will be the DEMOCRATS chairing the committees that will be reviewing the policy.

Two lawmakers with considerable sway over defense matters — and whether a repeal will initially be part of the fiscal year 2011 defense budget — are House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.).

Chairmen Sending Mix Signals on "Don't Ask"

UPDATE: Joint Chiefs Chair Mike Mullen and Def. Sec. Robert Gates Call for Repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell

John McCain Flip-Flops! Was for Letting the Military Decide, Now Wants Congress to Decide!

Obama to Address Anti-Gay Cult's Prayer Breakfast

Why is Obama, or anyone in the U.S. government participating in this religious prayer group?

At National Prayer Breakfast, Obama to Address Shadowy Christian Group Tied to Uganda "Kill the Gays" Bill

In addition to the anti-gay bigotry of the group, isn't it a violation of the separation of church and state for the President to endorse and participate in a sectarian religious prayer breakfast?

Advocate: The Family Serves National Prayer Breakfast

CREW to Obama: Skip the National Prayer Breakfast